Thursday, 1 March 2012

Website Copywriting

Speaking about content and web copy, the most famous slogan about it is “content is king”. Although this may be true, majority of the Internet users do not read the content. Ironical, but true. For web copywriters, this is the biggest challenge. Web copywriters have to ensure that the content is informative yet catchy and powerful.

Helpful Tips

Mastering website copywriting is not easy and it takes a few years of intensive experience to perfect it. However, the following copywriting tips will certainly help you in making the right start and getting your basics right:

Clear & Concise: The most important element of website copywriting is developing clear and concise content. People browsing online are extremely impatient and are looking to get the message as fast as possible. Long sentences and flowery sentences are a big turn-off for internet browsers. As a copywriter, you must come straight to the point so that people can understand the gist even without reading the entire article.

Breakdown Content in Points: The biggest turn off for users online is to land on a page and see lengthy content with really long paragraphs. This will immediately drive them away from the website. To avoid this, it is better to break down the content into short points with clear sub headings. This makes it easier for the user to scan through the entire length of the content. Every point should be a separate point or paragraph as it is easy for the users to follow and understand.

Use Catchy Headings and Taglines: To keep the users interested and retain them, it is important to add catchy and attractive titles and taglines and entice them to read further. This is yet another difficult but very critical factor in website copywriting and can be developed only over a period of time. However, make sure that the headings or the taglines connect with the theme of the content or the overall website.

Highlight Important Points First: Since users seldom read the entire paragraph or content, the opening paragraph or lines must contain the most important points that you want to highlight. This ensures that you get the most important points across to the user. Once that is covered, the less important things can follow. As a web copywriter, you must learn to prioritize your content effectively.

SEO Friendly Content: The significance of SEO can never be undermined. However, gone are the days when people relied on keyword stuffing to secure higher ranking. Writing for the web does not mean unnecessary use of keywords in your content. Rather it means using relevant keywords in the title and at regular intervals, throughout the body too.

Hyperlinks: Hyperlinks are used to provide related content. This is a great way to provide additional information without interfering in the user’s way. Usually, copywriters highlight a specific word and connect it to a different page or just give a link that says “See related articles”.

While giving hyperlinks, it is best to open the link or page in a new tab as it enhances the navigation and allows users to easily come back to your page.

Each of these points is vital and can make a huge difference to your web content. Sticking to these points will certainly enhance your content quality and get positive reviews from your readers.